Work by two USDA molecular biologists shows that tilapia, a commonly consumed food fish in the United States, can be selectively bred for resistance to two types of streptococcosis bacteria. Fish farmers frequently turn to antibiotics to fight diseases such as strep in farm-raised tilapia.
The USDA researchers, Benjamin LaFrentz and Craig Shoemaker, worked with two fish breeding companies to find that cross-breeding for resistance to strep resulted in fish with greater natural ability to resistance. “This milestone research paves the way for developing more lines of tilapia with resistance to other pathogens,” said USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.
One of the companies involved in the research, Spring Genetics, estimated the strep-resistant tilapia would save an average-sized fish farm nearly $635,000 a year. Lower antibiotic use also would reduce the chances of bacteria developing antimicrobial resistance. The United States annually imports nearly $1 billion worth of tilapia, an inexpensive fish with a white flesh and mild flavor, as well as producing the fish domestically.